NHTSA Complaint #11184252 — 2019 SUBARU ASCENT

THE BATTERY KEEPS DYING WHEN I HAVE THE TAILGATE (TG) OPENED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME SUCH AS WHEN DOG TRAINING. THE FIRST TIME MY BATTERY DIED, I WAS THE LAST PERSON ON THE TRAINING GROUNDS. I CLOSED THE TG AND LIGHTS WERE FLASHING AND BEEPING FOR A FEW MINUTES. THE BATTERY DIED AND THE TG WAS SHUT AND WOULDN'T OPEN. I PANICKED B/C I COULD NOT GET MY DOGS OUT AND I WAS ALONE IN A VAST WOODED AREA. THIS IS A TERRIBLE SAFETY ISSUE B/C IF I DID NOT HAVE CELL PHONE COVERAGE THAT DAY, MY DOGS WOULD'VE BEEN TRAPPED IN THE CAR WITHOUT WATER AND I WOULD HAVE HAD TO WALK A VERY LONG WAY TO GET HELP SINCE THE SUBARU ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT CELL COVERAGE. IN FEB., I WAS DOG TRAINING IN AREAS OF GEORGIA WHERE THERE IS NO CELL PHONE COVERAGE. THREE DAYS IN A ROW, MY BATTERY DIED. FORTUNATELY, ANOTHER MEMBER OF OUR GROUP JUMP STARTED THE CAR. THE LOCAL DEALER IN TALLAHASSEE WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT LEAVING THE TAILGATE OPEN WOULD DRAIN THE BATTERY. SUBARU SAYS THIS IS HOW THE CAR WAS DESIGNED. IN ADDITION TO INSTALLING A NEW BATTERY, THEY INSTALLED A BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH, WHICH I PURCHASED TO PREVENT MY BATTERY FROM DYING. EVERY TIME YOU FLIP THE SWITCH TO CUT THE BATTERY OFF, ALL THE PRESETS GO BACK TO DEFAULT AND HAVE TO BE RESET. AND NOW RANDOMLY ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS NOW COME ON AND THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM FAILS B/C SUPPOSEDLY THE SYSTEM IS SENSING A DROP IN VOLTAGE WHEN THE BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH IS BEING USED. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT SUBARU DIDN'T THINK THIS THROUGH GIVEN THAT THEY MARKET TO THE OUTDOORSY TYPE OF PERSON, DOG OWNERS AND CAMPERS. THEY NEED SOME SORT OF FIX TO CORRECT THIS SAFETY ISSUE TO ALLOW OWNERS TO TURN OFF THE POWER TO THE TG WHEN NEEDED SO THEY ARE NOT LEFT STRANDED WHEN THEY ARE 'OFF THE GRID' AS THEIR COMMERCIALS TOUT. .